The Eastern PA Two-Year College Assessment Consortium

Transcription

1 2013 Annual Conference Middle States Commission on Higher Education The Eastern PA Two-Year College Assessment Consortium Presented by: James Benner, Northampton Community College William Ford, Bucks County Community College Charles Beem, Bucks County Community College Joan Brookshire, Montgomery County Community College

2 Here is the real title

3 Our Regional, Two-Year College Assessment Consortium

4 Our Goals For Today s Presentation: Describe: Why we came together. What we do. What we have learned. The benefits of collaboration: For us. For you

5 The Beginnings: 2oo Bucks County Community College and Montgomery County Community College came together around a shared opportunity: Collaboration on faculty professional development. Shared faculty development needs: Using technology effectively. New pedagogies. Assessment of student learning outcomes. Six colleges involved by 2008.

6 Assessment: The Topic That Rose to the Top Shared challenges and concerns: How do you create a culture of assessment? Complacency on campus: How serious is our accrediting body, anyway? Are there resources that address the community college context, and where do you find them? How do you assess General Education?

7 Assessment: The Topic That Rose to the Top Shared Challenges and Concerns: How to assess developmental education programs? How to train and support large numbers of adjunct faculty in assessment? How to juggle the multiple expectations of specialized accreditation in career and transfer programs?

8 Questions for Discussion Who would you consider collaborating with? (getting started.) Who would you call at each institution? What outcomes would you look for? What concerns would you gather around?

9 Current Consortium Members

10 Our Outcomes Over time, trust develops we share assessment results with each other (the good and not so good.) Network/Brain Trust General Education assessment. Use of standardized instruments. Types and uses of placement tests. Experience across different positions within our institutions: IR Directors, Teaching Center Directors, Faculty, Assessment Directors, etc. Experience across different institutional structures for assessment.

11 Organizational Logistics Regional Group Goal 1 Meet face-to-face 3 to 4 times a semester. Commuting time a consideration (max. 90 minutes ideally.) Lunchtime Meetings Rotating locations. Host college provides the meal. Breaking bread together builds community. Noon to 3 p.m. (beat the rush hour traffic!)

12 Organizational Logistics Meeting Agendas: Collaboratively developed. Focus on assessment happenings at the school hosting the meeting. Planning the annual Assessment Summit.

13 Questions for Discussion What potential obstacles would you anticipate for building a consortium? How would you organize to address these obstacles?

14 The Annual Assessment Summit Goals: Bring together faculty from different institutions to network and broaden perspective. Promote faculty-driven assessment on each campus by building a critical mass of awareness and knowledge.

15 Assessment Summit Logistics Different formats/matched to goals each time and overall: Facilitator whole day. Concurrent sessions. Panels. Table talks (by topic/college.) Participants gather by institution at the end to discuss the take-aways.

16 Assessment Summit Logistics Second Friday in April. Rotating locations. Host college provides the venues for presentations and breakout sessions. Share cost of keynote presenters (2009 Summit.) Hospitality costs shared; each participating college pays $20 per attendee. Professional development that does not break the bank!

17 Assessment Summit Topics 2009 (MCCC): What Middle States Expects for Assessment of Student Learning Presented by Linda Suskie (RACC): Telling Our Stories: Faculty Assessment Project Showcase English; Math; Accounting; Allied Health; Art; Psychology;Engineering; ESL; Developmental Ed (NCC): Assessing General Education Critical Thinking Philosophy; Math; Criminal Justice; Business; English.

18 Assessment Summit Topics 2012 (LCCC): Closing the Loop: Results/Changes from Assessment General Education shared rubrics oral/written communications; Integrated Knowledge outcome; Research papers; Computer Literacy; changes in Psych programs; Applying for Graduation (Institutional Effectiveness outcome.) 2013 (DCCC): Direct Accreditation Experiences: What have you done for me lately? or They re not kidding this time! Luzerne CCC shared the results of their accreditation experience and what they did about it. Collaboration on program assessment

19 Future Directions: Collaborate on Program Assessment Business Studies Programs: OPPORTUNITY: ACBSP requirement for benchmarking (2008). NEED: To whom do we compare the performance of our students? SOLUTION: Collaborate and share assessment data with other consortium members. CONCERN: Confidentiality

20 How We Did It Business faculty at six consortium institutions came together. Frame Your Discussion Look for what is common, while avoiding criticism. Process Design Begin the conversation by identifying a common course, assignment (Best Practice), or learning goal/learning objective. Desired Outcome Assessment of student learning using a common assessment instrument.

21 Adopt the Culture of Assessment and Improvement Conquer fear. Focus on what is you hold in common, not on how you differ. Join the team communicate and share to improve student learning. Celebrate successful collaboration Keep the party going!

22 Future Opportunities for Collaboration Cross-institutional Consulting on assessment projects/areas. Data collection and analysis. Completion and Success Theme. Assessing Institutional Effectiveness. Sustaining Assessment (post-accreditation.) Engaging Adjunct Faculty. Course-Based Assessment (as opposed to Gen Ed. and/or Program.) Developmental Education.

23 Final Thoughts: Challenges Maintaining regional focus. Continuity in membership (ebb and flow of assessment personnel.) Establish and sustain a regional event. Maintaining assessment focus. Funding?

24 Final Thoughts: Opportunities We all have to do it; why not do it together??? We are trying to change the culture of our institutions the focus is on learning, not evaluation. Increase faculty involvement in assessment at our institutions. Increase information sharing among assessment professionals at our institutions. Increasing trust and transparency.

25 Question for Discussion How will you get started back home?

26 For More Information James Benner, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Northampton Community College Charles Beem, Prof., Business Studies Bucks County Community College William Ford, Exec. Asst. to the Provost & Prof., Psychology Bucks County Community College Joan Brookshire Montgomery County Community College